Buchanan on Jackson

In “Christians, Nazis and Jesse Jackson” (Column Right, Dec. 13), Pat Buchanan got it half right. The Rev. Jesse Jackson was wrong to liken to Hitlerism the religious conservatism of the Christian Coalition whose leader, Ralph Reed, has embraced the core values of the civil rights movement and made sincere attempts to reach out to African Americans and American Jews.

On the other hand, Buchanan ought to come to terms with the historical evidence that too many “conservative Christians” either ignored or even approved the rise of National Socialism in Germany and Jim Crow in the United States.

Imprisoned by the Nazis during World War II, Pastor Martin Niemoeller admitted his own fateful error: “In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

HAROLD BRACKMAN, Consultant

Simon Wiesenthal Center

Los Angeles

* Buchanan cannot stop rattling that “liberal media” saber. A “hypocritical media” allow the “rhetoric of assassination.” It seems that Buchanan would take umbrage about Jackson’s remarks about the theological rationale for the Nazis, although, referring to the Crusades and the Inquisition, Christian reaction to opposition could be seen as equally heavy-handed. I’ll note that no column appears when conservative golden calf Limbaugh speaks of “feminazis.”

Supporting his argument Buchanan writes, “As early as 1937 Pope Pius XI issued” a proclamation denouncing Nazi persecution of Catholics. He doesn’t say the Pope spoke against Jewish or Gypsy persecution. Hitler was named chancellor in January, 1933, and given dictatorial powers two months later. He built Dachau (1933), enacted the Nuremberg Laws (1935), reincorporated the Saar (1935) and occupied the Rhineland (1936). The Pope spoke only after increasing Nazi power threatened the church. Surely this “blind eye” helped fascism solidify control.

I suppose none of this makes a difference to a columnist making a point. I just never thought I would see the day that Buchanan would accuse anyone of name-calling.

JEFFERY W. HERMAN

Tujunga

* Buchanan’s column really got me chuckling. It seems that the group that brought us the words “feminazis,” “counterculture McGovernicks” and a host of other names that drip off the lips of the Pats, the Rushs, and the Newts of this country do not like it when someone calls them a name. It seems funny that what is common practice on the right is characterized as a minor tennis infraction (foot fault--I had to look it up). But when someone on the left turns a phrase, it is characterized as a rhetorical hate crime.

To Pat, I now know that you do not like to be called names so I will just say hypocritical whiner. If the shoe fits, wear it.

GEORGE L. SCHAFER III

Anaheim